Respirator



Oct. 17, 1944. Q CHURCH 2,360,476

RESPIRATOR Filed Feb. 25. 1942 Y INVENTOR. 25e/4 /vA/L /N Q. CHL/ECH ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 17, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 21,360,476 RESPIRATOR Franklin 0. Church, Buffalo, N. Y.,.assignor to Dunlopk Tire and Rubber Corporation, Buffalo,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 25, 1942, Serial No. 432,174

( Cl. 12S-30) 4 Claims.

My invention relates to a respirator for produeing artificial respiration, of the type in which a partial vacuum is applied to the chest and abdominal parts of the users body to cause in-v spiration followed by a period of admission of air to the surface of the body to cause expiration.

More particularly, my present invention applies to respirators in which a covering is applied over the chest and abdominal parts of the body and sealed to the body by a supporting wall of cellular material, such as foamed latex rubber, substantially sealed against the inflow of air.

Heretofore respirators of the above type have been made of a stiff molded material which is correspondingly cumbersome and expensive. In my present invention I provide a respiratorthat has suilicient rigidity to retain its position against the pressure exerted upon it under partial vacuum and which is light in weight, simple in construction and readily applicable to the body.

In my present invention I provide a wall or shield of a curvature approximating that of the body of the user and suilicient to cover the body from approximately the neck to the abdomen and to extend below the arms and around the sides of the user to overlap the back to a small extent so that it may be held firmly in positionl This shield is spaced from the body of the user by a marginal wall of cellular resilient material, such as foamed latex rubber, the outer surface of which has been rendered substantially impermeable to the passage of air by means of a coating or layer of rubber cement or latex.

The shield is made of layers of rubberized fabric in which are embedded longitudinal rods or strips of a stiff material, such as metal, and transverse strips of spring material extending across the front of the shield and around the sides of the user and sufficiently resilient that it may be opened slightly to pass about the body of the user and to cling thereto when released.

The various features of the invention are illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the respirator as applied to the body of the user;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are respectively, front, side and rear views of the respirator, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are sections taken respectively on the lines 5-5 and 6 6 of Fig. 2.

In the respirator illustrated in the accompanying drawing, a shield is made up of one or more layers of rubberized fabric Ill of a suitable shape. Preferably two or more layers of rubberized fabric are superposed and pressed and vulcanized together. `'I'his provides a light material that is sufficiently airtight to form the shield. This material is given the desired shape and suflicient rigidity in a lengthwise directionby means of rods II, I2 and I 3, three rods being shown by way of example, which extend from approximately the top edge of 'the fabric `to the lower edge thereof and are secured tothe fabric or embedded therein by means of lengthwise strips I4, I5 and I6, which may be attached to the strips I0 in any suitable manner as, for example, by being lapped under the fabric and'secured thereto prior to vulcanization.

The strips I4, I5 and I6 may be of the same rubberized material as. the fabric I0.

The rods II, I2 and I3 and their strips may be attached either to the inside or outside of the shield. The shield is given rigidity in the opposite direction and is given a rounded shape by means of curved spring bands II and I8 extending horizontally orv transversely over'the front and sides and slightly curving in at the back so that when in place 'on the body of the user, to whom artificial respiration is to be applied, the compressing action of the spring holds the respirator gently in position.

The respirator may be readily applied by merely pulling the side edges of the shield outwardly, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 6, placing it in position on the wearer and then permitting the edges to return to their normal positions.

The springs I'I and I8 are secured to the shield by being embedded therein as, for example, by applying strips of rubberized fabric I9 and 20 V over the springs I'I and I8 and securing them to the surface of the rubberized fabric of the shield by vulcanization, or by cementing and vulcanization.

It will be understood that these springs may be placed either on the inner or outer surface of the shield.

The shield is supported at a small distance from the body of the user to form a vacuum chamber immediately above the chest and abdomen by means of a marginal wall 2| of foamed latex indefinite period of time without causing irritation or forming sores. This is largely due to the fact that air may penetrate it without obstruction.

The ends of the rods II, I2 and I3 and of the springs I'I and I8 overlap and rest on the annular cellular wall. The pressure of the ends of the rods is distributed sidewise by the ply or plies of rubberized fabric thereby avoiding a localized area of pressure on the cellular structure.

Connection to a suitable pump and control apparatus may be made through a connecting pipe 23 secured in the fabric I0 in any suitable manner.

The above construction has the advantage that it is very light in weight and inexpensive to construct, while having all of the properties required to sustain atmospheric pressure during application of the vacuum and yet remaining accurately in position on the users body.

While preferably applied immediately against the skin, it may be quickly adjusted onto a clothed persons body in cases of emergency. Because of its lightness in Weight and the ease With which it can be applied it is Well adapted for emergency cases, such as drowning, industrial accidents, shock, or when respiration ceases during surgical operations.

The shield I0 may be built in any suitable manner preferably a fabric shell is built up, ply by ply, of vulcanizable rubberized fabric on a shaped metal former. The reinforcing rods are bent to ft the shape of the former and assembled to the plies and transverse spring steel bands are also shaped and attached to the unvulcanized plies while still on the former. The assembly is then vulcanized and it retains the shape given it by the former. The plies-of vulcanized rubber have the required shape because of being vulcanized in that shape independently of the rods I I, I2 and I3 and the spring bands I'I and I 8. The rods and the springs, however, aid in holding the fabric in shape against outside pressure.

What I claim is:

1. A respirator which comprises a wall of cellular rubber to enclose a body area and substantially sealed against passage of air, a shield resting on said wall to cover said area and comprising rubberized fabric, spaced rods secured to said fabric and extending longitudinally of said shield and a transverse spring band secured to said shield and curved to extend about the front and sides of the body to the back.

2. A respirator which comprises a wall of cellular rubber to enclose a body area and substantially sealed against passage of air, a shield resting on said Wall to cover said area and comprising rubberized fabric, spaced longitudinal reinforcements for said fabric and transverse spring reinforcements for said fabric to cause said respirator to engage the sides of a body.

3. A respirator which comprises a Wall of resilient material shaped to enclose the chest, abdomen and sides of a body, a covering shield overlying said wall and the area enclosed thereby and Y comprising rubberized fabric having longitudinal reinforcements extending over and supported by said wall and a transverse spring band extending in a transverse direction across the front and side portions of said shield to press said respirator on the body.

4. A respirator comprising a resilient enclosing Wall shaped to enclose the chest, abdomen and parts of the sides of the body, a flexible resilient covering shield extending over said wall and the area enclosed thereby and sealed to said wall, reinforcements extending longitudinally of said resilient covering material and spring means extending transversely of said material and curved to cause said respirator to engage the sides of a body to which said respirator may be applied and secure it rmly thereon,

FRANKLIN O. CHURCH. 

